Buck Meek Embraces the Unknown with ‘The Mirror’
Buck Meek, guitarist from the beloved indie-folk band Big Thief, surrenders to his artistic expression on his fourth studio album, The Mirror. Palpable vulnerability gives space to a tender and intense philosophical exploration of love, identity, and growth. Unafraid to question without expecting an answer releases Buck Meek and listeners from hesitation and anxious anticipation. The Mirror floats somewhere between happiness, melancholy, and peace, barring any emotion to triumph over another. Wholesome vocals accompany a familiar and groovy palette of drums, light guitar, and charming modular synths, balancing classics and modernity. Buck Meek leans into a more optimistic mindset as he discovers that questions don’t always have or require an answer. The unknown is less scary than we imagine and exists as a place for us to understand who we are.
“Gasoline” Official Music Video Directed by Noel Paul
To begin, The Mirror finds Buck Meek questioning what love is and if he is capable of the intimacy that accompanies true love. A racing clash of springy instrumentals builds alongside a steady, yet bubbling excitement in “Gasoline” as an intimate electric guitar and sweet vocal tone mirror the flutter of butterflies that erupt within our souls when we catch feelings. Despite the thrill of brewing affection, Buck Meek recognizes his anxiety: “Making words up while we made love/one month and she’s in my blood/ooheeah lalo, faroosee mneykro/Will it be me or will it be her/to say I love you first?” He goes one step further on “Pretty Flowers” as he begins to follow his curiosity about love: “The more I get to know you, the less I know of love/Is it science? Is it art?/Can I learn to give away my heart?”
“Pretty Flowers” introduces the album’s human connection to nature and the universe, which keeps The Mirror grounded and prevents Buck Meek from spiraling into a well of his own thoughts: “Pretty flowers, pretty flowers/Show me how to come into my power/Come into my power/Without being mean/Mean and greedy, mean and greedy.” Through nature, Buck Meek peacefully surrenders to fate and places more trust in the universe. He releases some of his anxiety to find self-confidence and lean into vulnerability to embrace love in its truest form.
The Mirror shines with Buck Meek’s fearless commitment to honesty and self-reflection. As quaint, mellow, and rustic instrumentals circle through buzzing synths and delicate piano riffs to build a calm and accepting atmosphere throughout the album, Buck Meek encourages listeners to cherish the practice of self-confrontation.
“Demon” strips Buck Meek of any facades as he comes face to face with the darker versions of himself that still haunt his soul: “Been trying to receive it but my demon’s still breathing/I thought that I had killed it but it’s crawling in the weeds again/My demon is my darkness and my darkness is my angel/I taught him how to read, now I’m teaching him to write.”Buck Meek finds a balance between working with and against our demons, as darkness can also work as a collaborator in navigating us through our most intense emotional journeys.The album settles into a place of tender acceptance with “Heart In The Mirror” and “Worms.” A happier disposition on “Heart in the Mirror” inspires the belief that love requires deep reflection and everyone is on their own journey, so there’s no point in comparison or getting tangled up in fear: “Many years I’ve lived in fear of bullies and critics/But now I know the thing they loathe/is seeing their own fear in the mirror/Their fear in the mirror, fear in the mirror.” “Worms” features a calming birdsong, echoing the theme of returning to your roots, using nature as a literal and figurative metaphor for embracing the most honest versions of ourselves.
A final warm strum of the guitar on “Outta Body” concludes The Mirror. Through his exploration of love, identity, and the resulting confrontation with fear, Buck Meek chooses to breathe through every emotion he encounters, take life one day at a time, and embrace the inevitable fluctuation of the human experience: “Let myself feel it, I’ll try to keep it/for the times when I’m happy, for the times when I’m sad/It’s kind of outta body, I’ll keep it for that.”
Listen to The Mirror in its entirety and experience Buck Meek’s music live on his North American tour this summer and later this year.
